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2015 AJGA Scholastic Junior All-America Team announced

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Twenty-four of the nation’s brightest minds and best junior golfers were named to the 2015 AJGA Scholastic Junior All-America Team, the American Junior Golf Association announced Wednesday, Oct. 7. Created in 1988, the team consists of 12 young men and 12 young women who demonstrate the ability to excel both on the golf course and in the classroom.

To be eligible to apply for the AJGA Scholastic Junior All-America Team, boys must have placed in the top 10 of an AJGA Open or Invitational, while girls needed a top-five finish. The selections were then based on the following criteria in order of importance:  standardized test scores, GPA, school leadership/community service and writing skills as showcased in an original essay. The AJGA uses an adjusted GPA scale.

 

The 12 boys on the AJGA Scholastic Junior All-America Team are:

Nathan Chuwait of Herndon, Va. (2016)

Mitchell Cornell of Incline Village, Nev. (2016)

Chase Cutshall of Melbourne, Fla. (2016)

Eric Hall of Harwood, Md. (2016)

Nelson Pang of San Ramon, Calif. (2016)

Rij Patel of Hunt Valley, Md. (2016)

Drew Powell of Bangor, Maine (2017)

Robert Quinilty of Cypress, Texas (2016)

Henry Shimp of Charlotte, N.C. (2016)

Joseph Weiler of Bloomington, Ind. (2017)

Jordan Weitz of Rockville, Md. (2016)

Harlan Winn of Birmingham, Ala. (2016)

 

The 12 girls on the AJGA Scholastic Junior All-America Team are:

Josephine Chang of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (2016)

Madeline Chou of Santa Ana, Calif. (2016)

Teri Doss of Paducah, Ky. (2016)

Kate Harper of Isle of Palms, S.C. (2016)

Lauren Hartlage of Elizabethtown, Ky. (2016)

Yubin Huh of San Diego, Calif. (2016)

Jiyoon Jang of Rancho Mirage, Calif. (2016)

Chelsea Liu of Shanghai, China (2016)

Hannah O’Sullivan of Chandler, Ariz. (2016)

Sung Eun Park of San Diego, Calif. (2016)

Elizabeth Reedy of Marietta, Ga. (2017)

Beryl Wang of Sugar Land, Texas (2016)

 

Each year, the AJGA Scholastic Junior All-America team applicants are asked to submit an original essay and the top essay is selected from the final group to be presented during the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet. In 2015, Joseph Weiler of Bloomington, Indiana, was selected as the top writer and presented his winning essay "Double Breaker" on Nov. 22.

 

Double Breaker
By Joseph Weiler 

I am just another golfer.

And I refuse to believe that

I will make it to the pros.

I know that

Golf was never the reason for my perseverance, humility, and lifelong friendships.

I would be lying to myself if I believed that

I am the next.

I believe that

I have shown myself to be a failure

Even when I mistakenly thought that

I succeeded

Why did I ever put so much time into a useless game?

You will never hear me say

“This sport was worth every second I’ve spent practicing.”

Winning

Is more important to me than

Developing friendships.

I am incapable of accomplishing any athletic ambition of mine

Why should I believe that

This is the time for me to create a path for my own future

When all of the odds are against me in this world

Where could I have ended up without golf?

This is the relentless question I have been faced with.

Golf can be experienced and interpreted in many ways. To some, it is as simple as reversing a negative thought into a positive one. Read this poem from the bottom up and find a new perspective.

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For detailed information click here .

The AJGA Scholastic Junior All-America Team has an average adjusted GPA of 4.55, an average SAT score of 2114 and an average ACT score of 33. They have also combined for a total of 14 top-3 finishes, including six wins in 2015.

These outstanding individuals will be honored at the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet, Nov. 22, at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. By being named to this team, each player is also eligible to participate in the Polo Golf Junior Classic, one of the most prestigious events in junior golf, which will take place on PGA National Resort & Spa's Champion and Fazio Courses, Nov. 21-27.

Former AJGA Scholastic Junior All-Americans have gone on to successful amateur and professional golf careers, including Casey Martin (1989), Wendy Ward (1990), Kellee Booth (1992), Cristie Kerr (1994), Matt Kuchar (1994), Scott Langley (2005) and Patrick Rodgers (2009, 2010).

The AJGA Scholastic Honor Roll recognizes those juniors who have achieved a weighted GPA of 3.5 or higher, but who were not selected as AJGA Scholastic Junior All-Americans. For a complete 2015 Honor Roll list click here .